Naruto Saga Reborn
by Heartphelt
Summary: Set both 80 years in the future and in an AU Version of the Naruto Series, Naruto Saga Reborn follows the lives of a series of young Shinobi as each tries to make sense of the violent world they live in.  Knowledge of Naruto Shippuden needed to enjoy
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

The full moon hung high in the murky darkness of the sky, a single, luminescent disk that cast an eerie shine down upon the Kaijingakure No Sato. The village had changed, that much was obvious to the young man as he stared down at the community that had once been his home. He stood on air as if it were made of solid material instead of a thin gas that, naturally, would never be able to maintain his weight. "The village has grown" he thought to himself as he pulled his heavy black cloak tighter around his body, making sure to shield himself from the worst of the wind. "The village has grown and so have I" he completed the thought as he clapped his hands together before his fingers began to dance and writhe. His fingers moved about at a dizzying speed, forming complex and rarely seen symbols, handsigns, they had been dubbed by the Shinobi who utilized them. The young man continued his practice of the handsigns until finally, he ended with a sudden clap that echoed off into the night, only to die upon the wind as it picked up suddenly. He had ended the handsigns with his hands clasped together, almost as if he were in prayer; with the palms of his hands touching and his fingers fully extended. But if this was any sort of prayer, it was certainly not to any God. For surely, no God was cruel enough to answer this man's twisted, destructive prayers. Drawing his hands apart, the young man revealed the small, orange ball of flames that danced in the space between his palms, less than an inch from touching them. "Village Hidden in the Ashes, indeed" he whispered and then he drew his arms completely apart, as if welcoming a bear hug from an old friend, and the small, orb of flames dropped down, towards the center of the village. The shock wave came first, rippling forth from the area where the small ball had landed, the force it carried enough to send a man flying past the five hundred meter mark. The heat and flames soon followed. It was horrible. Within an instant, the ball had spread out laterally, it had spread with speed that no human being could ever mimic, Shinobi or not. The flames had reached a maximum height of 20 feet or so, but the speed at which the deadly flames had struck out was horrific, within the bat of an eyelash, the flames had spread out to encompass over 30% of the village, beyond, even, the expectations of the young man who had utilized the jutsu to release the flames. But he was gone, long gone, having left the scene of the crime before the ball had even touched down in the center of the village. He couldn't bare to see the place he had called home for so long destroyed by his own hands. It would simply be too amusing for him to be able to keep the focus necessary for him to run on air.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Hikaru had woken with the rising sun since his days as an infant. Everyday, his father would walk out the front door, on some kind of business, constantly busy, never enough time to kiss his wife goodbye, or even mutter a farewell to his son. Everyday it had woken Hikaru up, and everyday he would stand in his doorway, watching his mother stand in the doorway to their home, watching the back of the man she had fallen in love with shrink as he walked away from his family. For years this would be his morning ritual, it would always take a minute or two for his mother to realize that her son was up and about, and then she'd instruct him into the bathroom to clean up for breakfast. It had been the same for years, but today was different. As Nageshima Hitori got up to make his way out the door, to head down to the Shinobi Academy to prepare for his class, he met his son, Nageshima Hikaru standing in front of the door. Hikaru was father's spitting image, with his large, muscular frame, his facial features that made him look years older than he was, his raven black hair and his almost constantly unhappy expression, he was, without a doubt, Hitori in his early teenage years. Except for his eyes. Hikaru had inherited his mother's, breath taking, sky blue, chestnut shaped eyes that seemed to hypnotize you. Stopping in front of his son, Hitori's mouth dropped into a frown and his eyebrow raised, he was asking a question with not a word. "Will you be there" Hikaru whispered, his sky blue eyes staring into the depths of blackness that composed his father's. Hitori's frown only grew deeper as he attempted to decipher what exactly his son was asking him. It was only when he opened his mouth to ask did it dawn on him that Hikaru was going to partake in the yearly genin exam that very day. Cursing himself for his own forgetfulness, Hitori searched for the right words to tell his son that he would have to miss it, as he was expected to accompany a class of first year Shinobi on a field trip. As if he had read his father's mind, Hikaru nodded solemnly, his face displaying nothing but acceptance, not a happy acceptance but an understanding of the situation. "Hikaru..." Hitori began, his voice quavering with emotion as he watched his son walk right past him, his eyes glazing over the mountain of a man Hitori was as he made his way towards the bathroom. Hikaru slammed the bathroom door behind him in response. Sighing, Hitori opened the front door, and stepped outside, his face contorted into one of sorrow. "First you lose your wife...now your son" he whispered "You just keep losing people you love Hitori" he scolded himself before he began to make his way towards the center of the village. 

"WHAT!" Hikaru roared, his shock being too much to properly contain. "Nageshima-Kun!" the Genin Examiner responded sharply, his voice clearly laced with agitation. "Please contain all further outbursts. And, to reiterate, what I said was, you" at that point the examiner pointed at Hikaru "Will be partnered with Yamada-San" he ended his statement by pointing out the green haired young lady once more. With an expression of barely contained fury, Hikaru moved through the crowd of other Genin hopefuls until he stood face to face with the tiny Yamada Chou, staring down into the depths of her black eyes. Hikaru could not claim that she was not attractive. She had developed slower than her classmates, Hikaru estimated her height to be somewhere around 62 inches with a rather unimpressive figure for a 13 year old girl. However, with her long green hair tied in a ponytail and her constant smile, which showed off a pair of dimples that were utterly adorable, Chou definitely had her charms. "Sorry you got me Nageshima-Kun" the girl whispered, her perpetually happy expression replaced with another that Hikaru couldn't decipher, but made him feel uncomfortable. For a few moments, the air between them was heavy with guilt from both parties, but, with no more stomach for such an environment, Hikaru swallowed his pride and set his sights on fixing what he was sure was his own fault. "Chou. I didn't mean it like that. I meant...I'm not..." Hikaru, much to his own chagrin, found he was unable to apply words to the regret that he was feeling. Reaching out, Chou touched Hikaru's forearm, and within an instant, Hikaru understood that she grasped what he had been trying to say, and his understanding of that simple fact seemed to make his heart pound almost violently within his ribcage. Then something happened. Without an attempt from either of the adolescents, the air seemed heavy again. However, this time, the air was heavy with something else, something neither Hikaru or Chou had ever felt before was hanging in the air. It made Hikaru feel short of breath, it wiped his mind blank and it made his heart flutter in a fashion that reminded him of the descriptions he had read in his Mother's old books. Both of them pitched forwards, oblivious to the fact that the rest of the class had left the room, only aware of the fact that the other was nearby. The feeling of Chou's lips on his own seemed to snap Hikaru out of his strange trance and he backed away from her, his arm held in the crook of his arm as he stared with a look that was disturbingly similar to terror on his face. Chou looked at him, her lip trembling as she stared up at Hikaru. Neither spoke, neither moved, they could only stare at each other, one feeling hurt at what she thought was rejection, the other terrified that he had lost the control he had fought so hard to keep over himself. Finally, after numerous minutes, one of their classmates poked his head into the doorway and shouted out "Come on Nageshima-Kun, Yamada-Chan, it's almost your turn to take the exam".


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Jin had watched the two of them, his face turning an ugly purple color until, finally, he could take it no longer and he mustered up his courage to interrupt them before they progressed too far, only to barge in after the two had shared a kiss. Fully sliding open the door, Jin stuck his head in, making sure to keep his voice level and friendly, after all, it made no sense for the prey to be aware of the predator before the hunt even began. "I'll kill you for stealing her from me Nageshima. I'll kill you for taking my Chou" Jin thought to himself as he turned to the side, making room for Chou as she rushed out of the room, her face bright red with embarrassment as she concluded that Hikaru had rejected her. Hikaru soon followed, however, he moved slowly, sluggishly, as if all the energy had been extracted from his body, as if he were just on the edge of falling into unconsciousness. Walking alongside him, Jin looked Hikaru up and down, judging both his appearance and his abilities. Hikaru was larger than Jin by a considerable amount. While Jin stood at 5'7, Hikaru was, at Jin's estimate, around 6'4 tall. While Jin was wiry and lean with muscle, Hikaru was a mass of muscle. Cursing himself under his own breath, Jin accepted that Hikaru was rather attractive, with those piercing blue eyes and a body that told the tale of 100 push ups a night. "Ah well, not like the exam is all about Taijutsu" Jin thought to himself just as he and Hikaru made it in time for the examiner to call out Hikaru's name.

* * *

Hikaru was a million miles away, his mind frozen in the moment where he realized that despite all his years of effort he had no control over himself when he desired something. Despite all his hard work and self-evaluation, he was still a uncontrollable man with uncontrollable urges. He was nothing like his father, he was not one of those who would become a great Shinobi. The thought was disheartening and distracting, so much so that Hikaru didn't even notice that he and the rest of the class had moved to the outskirts of the village, where it was forest than civilization. When he finally regained enough composure to be listening, Hikaru found that the Examiners were just about to begin explaining the process of the Genin Exam. _"Well. The exam will be rather simple. It will be a retrieve and maintain type of exercise. Everyone will be given a necklace, with a either blue crystal, or a red one. Your partner, will have a different color than the one you possess. If you are given red, then you are to attempt to travel through the forest, and find your partner, who will be looking for you. Each of the necklaces that you began the exam with are worth four points each. However, to receive the points, you must be within close proximity of your partner, within ten meters, when the exam is over. You need ten points to pass the exam. So how do you gather more points? Well, the best method would be to steal another person's necklace, which is worth two points each. The end of the exam will be signaled with loud and bright flare bursting in the sky. Now then, Aya, the necklaces, if you please"_ the male examiner finished by indicating to his fellow examiner, who was a female. Hikaru stared down at the necklace he had received, it was a simple length of twine with a red jewel hanging from it. _"All those with blue necklaces, please follow me" the woman examiner shouted, and Hikaru watched as half of his classmates disappeared. "Now then, those who possess a red necklace, with me"_.

* * *

Hitori could never tell what exactly it was that informed him he was being watched, but something always did. When he realized he was being watched by hostile forces, he began to notice things that he would, otherwise, miss with ease. He noticed just how wide and broad his back was, how much a target he was, how much noise he was making and just what could make whatever noises he was hearing. Aware that a fellow Jonin, one from the Hoshi Clan of mind readers Hitori began to think clearly, and calmly, utilizing words so that she would grasp exactly what he was planning. _"Kana, there are enemies nearby. Enemies that even I will have trouble defeating. I want you to take the children and walk back towards the village, move slowly. Make them believe that you are unaware of their presence" _Hitori explained utilizing nothing but thoughts, he was pleased when the young Jounin followed his instructions to the dot, and began informing the children that the trip was over, making sure to move and speak with, at least, a semblance of relaxed behavior. When they had fully disappeared from the area, Hitori allowed his chakra to envelop him before he began to alter it. Applying both Fuuton and Raiton to the chakra, Hitori reformed the Chakra into a unique release that only his father's clan, the Sunba Clan, could create and manipulate. With that done, Hitori pressed his left wrist to the spot just over his jugular vein, thus, completing the tattoo combination needed to summon his weapon of choice.

* * *

Nageshima Hitori was exactly as the young man remembered him. Kaito found himself admiring the body of his rival, noting that the thirteen years had been kind to the man, allowing him to grow into an even more impressive body. He stood at 90 inches, by Kaito's estimate, the muscles all across his body strained to break free of the simple white tunic he wore and the cat-like grace that he wielded his weapon was clear to the eye. It was an impressive piece of work, that was not something that Kaito could, or ever would, deny. He noted that the envy that he had developed for Hitori during the Jonin exam all those years ago was still there. He wanted the body necessary to wield the "Konpaku" blade. It was huge. At least seven feet long and 12 inches wide at the base, the ability to effectively wield the Konpaku blade was Hitori's most impressive trait. _"I'll take care of him for now. The rest of you, get to work on that barrier around the Kirigakure No Sato" _Kaito instructed as he made his way out of the foliage as his subordinates and partner made their way towards the village.


	4. Chapter 3

Weird, I think this is actually the first time I've ever included OOC information. But I felt this chapter, more than any other needed some form of clarification. Yes, the Yauuj clan is based off of Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear, which is what allows him to do what he does. I wanted to have a character with his ability and Kaito seemed to fit the bill perfectly in my mind, a villain with multiple hearts and a heart that flip flops between honorable and savage seemed just perfect. Also, I'm pretty sure some of you will notice that I like to utilize some Japanese terms in my stories, this is to add a bit of authenticity, I hope it isn't annoying.

(Just so you know, Fuuton refers to Wind Elemental Jutsu and Raiton to Lightning. What combining them does, well, that's saved for another chapter)

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

Hikaru reached out, his arm fully extended as he flew through the air, searching for a branch to extend his time in the air. As he reached the sturdy piece of wood, Hikaru swung himself through the air, eyes darting left and right as he looked for any sign of danger. Suddenly, Hikaru felt like an explosion had taken place directly in front him, the force of the rapid expansion of energy being enough to send him flying backwards, clear off the branch he had just landed on and sending him crashing to the forest floor below. With a confused state of mind mind and a bruised and sore patch of back flesh, Hikaru simply lay in the remains of the cushioning bush he had landed atop of, trying to make sense of what had occurred. It was only when Jin appeared, standing twelve feet above him where Hikaru had been only moments before, smirking at him triumphantly. _"So, need this?"_ Jin asked rhetorically, brandishing what Hikaru realized with a surge of terror was his necklace, the one that was worth four points.

* * *

Hitori had come across hundreds of other Shinobi through out his long career as a Kirigakure Shinobi. He had cut down countless men, but had encountered many more who he had not killed, among them, he had come across only a handful of prodigies. It was one of these men, he knew, he faced now. The man moved at an wondrous speed, a speed that Hitori knew originated from a combination of talent, Shunshin No Jutsu and combat experience, each offering a different aspect that allowed him to follow Hitori's progress through out the battle, process it and move his body out of or in the way in time to either escape or deal damage. Had Hitori not been bleeding from a horrid gash that stretched from his left eyebrow down, across the bridge of his nose and ending at the right corner of his lips, he would have considered it superbly impressive. As it was currently, he only found it annoying. It was only as he raised his left hand to brush blood from his left eye, did he recognize the young man, for he had inflicted a very similar wound to him years before hand, back in the time where Hikaru was still being formed in his mother's womb, the realization of the man's identity only caused a sense of dread to blossom in Hitori's gullet. It was Yauuj Kaito, the man whose cruelty and talent was said to be unrivaled in all the years that had been recorded. As Hitori danced out of the way of a skillfully thrown kunai, he recounted exactly how he had been introduced to Yauuj Kaito.

In the middle of the battle royale portion of the Jonin Exam, thirteen years ago, when a young, 15 year old Kaito had struck down one of Hitori's closest friends. Driven by a blazing hot wave of rage, Hitori had lunged at the young man, only to be dodged and receive a vicious slash across his left year, severing his earlobe. The pain had brought him back from his own recklessness and as he had gazed upon the prodigy that was Yauuj Kaito, he had known, instantly, that the Ninjato wielding youth was just as skilled as he was, despite the 6 years that Hitori had on him. They had fought furiously, Hitori attacking with all he had only to be stopped at the most inconvenient of moments and have the tide turn on him as the lightning fast youth seemed able to match up with his Swift Release as he aimed for just the right spots that would bring instant death. After an hour long exchange, the two had separated, both leaping back until there was 50 meters between them and then they had realized, all the others had stopped fighting, so entranced were they by the display of Hitori's and Kaito's skill and that had been the moment when the Exam had ended, and both Hitori, who's ear had stopped bleeding due to some mediocre medical jutsu by Hitori himself, and Kaito, who was nursing a series of cuts all across the surface of his flesh had been awarded the status of Jonin. It had also been the moment where Hitori had realized that Kaito had been holding back, for he had not used a single elemental jutsu, instead, he had done battle with Hitori with Kenjutsu, Hitori's specialty as a Junior Member of the New Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The knowledge had struck Hitori hard, as he knew that the Yauuj were well known for their potential to utilize many elements and a strange sort of wire. The news had angered Hitori, and he had vowed to himself that he would grow twice as powerful as Yauuj Kaito and defeat the man, even at his best.

But as he fought Kaito now, he had been treated to just what he had missed out at the exam, and he was beginning to wish that Kaito would hold back once more, for the numerous elemental jutsu and the maneuverability of the strange wires, which seemed to come from everywhere at once, had forced Hitori to be on the defensive for quite a few minutes. "I gotta do something quick, or else, I might just end up dying" Hitori thought to himself as he deflected yet another diving black wire of the skillful Yauuj.

* * *

Kaito stopped for an instant, his hand reaching up to clutch at his chest, squeezing hard at the flesh just above the heart of the seventh Kazekage as it fluttered into stillness, having been put under too much pressure from the battle. The intense pain of "death" roared through Kaito's system, causing his nerves to dance with agony,he fell to his knees, his vision flashing in and out, despite his best efforts he knew he would fall into the comatose state that followed the death of one of a Yauuj's hearts, whether it be their original or a stolen one. As the darkness claimed him, Kaito was aware of one of the two masks he had released stalling in it's movements just in time to meet Hitori's swing, thus killing it. The pain from the destruction of the thread creature hit Kaito an instant later and he fell into unconsciousness_. "Well played...Hitori...Sempai" _Kaito whispered.


	5. Chapter 4

Jiro had watched the battle progress for quite some time, roughly an hour by his estimate, but he had been known to miscalculate the passage of time. "Hmmm, seems Hitori-Sensei is as sharp as ever" the young swordsman whispered to himself, his hand curling into fist as exhilaration raced through him, inspiring less than well thought out plans. Rushing forwards, footsteps quiet as a human could be, Jiro closed in on the unsuspecting thirty-something year old who had once taught him how to properly wield a blade. He struck before Hitori could notice, making sure to pierce through the exhausted man's chest just as he raised his blade to deal the beheading blow to his partner, Kaito. He could tell that the killing strike had been accurately aimed by the way Hitori's body stiffened and his hand rose to investigate what his brain was telling him was a fatal wound. "Even if we failed to destroy the village, at least we can take one of its major components." Jiro whispered, referring to Hitori, who had been the sixth of the seven Swordsmen of the Mist to be killed by the young swordsman.

* * *

Kaito had woken from his coma only to find that Hitori had captured him. Having utilized wire, Hitori had tied all of Kaito's limbs together in a hog-tie fashion while he simultaneously ran Raiton chakra through the thin string, thus numbing his extremities past the point where escape was possible. A Simple plan, but obviously very effective as it had worked out perfectly, having left Kaito open for questioning, but otherwise, immobile. While Hitori might have expected Kaito to crack under the pressure, he did no such things and when Hitori had resorted to "convincing" him with physical force, Kaito had only grit his teeth and rolling back his tongue to stop any outburst of pain or information. It had continued on for 2 minutes and 32 seconds, according to Kaito's count, and now, with his blade held high over his head, Hitori aimed to behead the young man, assuring that the man died and stayed dead. It had been at that exact moment that Kaito had noticed Jiro's blade and, by extension, Jiro.

Jiro was one of the most attractive men Kaito had ever met, physically, anyway. But it was what lay under that shapely face and light blond hair that made Jiro seem unattractive to Kaito. Jiro had a soul of ice. There was no kindness in him, he faked kindness well enough that those who spent little time in his presence believed him to be gentle and courteous, but after having spent the better part of a month and a half with him, Kaito had discovered and begun to hate the cold and callous man that lay beneath. Pushing aside his dislike for Jiro and his actions, Kaito offered his thanks to his subordinate as he cut away at Kaito's bindings. Rubbing his wrists Kaito looked into Jiro's eyes before inquiring about the progress of the mission he and Kaito's other subordinates had been given. Jiro frowned heavily as he responded "Well. We got as far as the village gate, but that woman and the little kiddies got there first, so when we arrived there were already, like, a dozen hunter-nin there, ready to brawl. Even the Mizukage and his bodyguards were there. I didn't see the point in dying so I told the brats and those three retards you recruited to retreat, but those three battle crazed idiots rushed in without a second thought. I watched for a bit before I took the brats and returned here, you know, to go back home and all that bullshit" Jiro, like always, held nothing back in his language as he gave his report even going so far as to stick up his middle finger as he mentioned the Mizukage. Frowning in both distaste for Jiro's choice in wording and confusion, Kaito raised his eyebrows at Jiro "Where are the twins?" Kaito asked him, referring to the pair of children who had only recently become a part of the Shimekukri. Suddenly appearing, as if on cue, the children rushed up to stand beside Jiro, the both of them watching Kaito limbering up with worry in their eyes.

* * *

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since the boy that he had idolized as the ideal for all young shinobi had brought about the death of Hikaru's father, Hitori. The two weeks had been the hardest of Hikaru's life. Plagued with guilt, horror, anger and grief, Hikaru had been suffering from nightmares so frequently that he had begun to fear sleep, for he had never had dreams so vivid that they had forced him to awake to the soundtrack of his own screams. It was only when he sat, staring at the blank, white walls before him as he clutched his father's most prized possession, his monstrously large blade, did Hikaru ever feel safe from his own dementia. Not even the pleasure of becoming a Genin did much for Hikaru, it felt shallow, unimportant even. It was as Hikaru was lost within his blissful unawareness that the knock came at his door; he had a visitor, a visitor with a very important message, and a grand proposition.


End file.
